Environmental control unit



Feb. 27, 1968 I A. N. DELIA ETAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 21, 1966 4 y m k 7 a e mi M V%. 7 m Z Z Z Feb. 27, 1968 A. N. D'ELIA ETAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL UNIT 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1956 4 Z m M Nam M M W 5 0 e WW 2 Y B Vi United States Patent Office Patented Feb. 27, 1968 3,370,403 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL UNIT Anthony N. DElia, 3555 Netherland Ave., Riverdale,

N.Y. 10471, and Edward M. Stolarz, RFD. 2, Horton Drive, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 10598 Filed Oct. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 588,537 1 Claim. (Cl. 55-406) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An environmental control unit comprising a combination in a housing of an electrostic precipitator disposed adjacent to the inlet to the housing, a fan disposed in the housing for drawing air through the inlet and past the precipitator and discharging treated air through the outlet, a humidifier in the housing for delivering water vapor and droplets between the inlet and the outlet, at dehumidifier in the housing between the precipitator and the outlet for selectively removing water vapor from air passing through the precipitator and a control arrangement for selective operation of the various elements.

This invention relates to an environmental control unit for effectively conditioning the atmosphere in an area being treated.

The total problem of air pollution, dirt control, unhealthy atmosphere and discomfort arising from too high or too low humidity surrounding everyone in the home, ofiice, factory, apartment, store, etc. has given rise to the need for effectivemeans for control of the living environment. The common approach is to seal off windows and install air conditioning. However, the mechanical filters in air conditioners collect only about ten percent of air-borne particles. Further, without requiring a lowering of the temperature, there is a need for control of the humidity. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a single device means for cleaning air and means for increasing or decreasing the moisture content of the air.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for automatic control of humidity to a desired level.

Another object of the invention is to provide an environmental control unit which is space saving in that it requires a minimum size and number of parts, which is inexpensive to produce thereby permitting for wide use and distribution, which filters the water used in humidification so as to substantially eliminate foreign matter, and which is capable of removing air-borne particles in all sizes, including the ten to twenty million particles per cubic foot of air below five microns in size which pass through mechanical filters.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a compact automatic unit for removing airborne irritants, increasing allergy protection, decreasing the incidence of colds, and for increasing general comfort and well being of the user.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this environmental control unit, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the environmental control unit;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the invention with parts thereof being broken away to show other parts in detail;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the plane of line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective detail view of parts of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken along the plane of line 5-5 in FIG. 4; and,

FIG. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuits used in the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates a housing of suitable construction having a rear projection portion 12 having an air inlet 14 covered by a screen 16. An electrostatic precipitator 18 of the type disclosed in the US. patent to Berly, No. 3,108,865, issued Oct. 29, 1963, or other conventional electrostatic precipitator capable of removing even particles of foreign matter of as little as five microns in size is disposed in the projecting portion 12. The housing 10 is provided with a treated air outlet 20 covered by a screen 22.

Disposed adjacent the outlet 20 in alignment therewith and with the inlet 14 is a dehumidifier assembly 24 mounted on a suitable supporting structure 26. The assembly 24 includes fan means 28 comprising a fan blade 30 driven by an electric motor 32. A compressor condensor 34 is included in the assembly 24 and a compressor relay 36 is provided for electrically operatively controlling the operation of the compressor condensor 34.

A belt motor 38 is mounted in the housing 10 and by suitable means as indicated at 40 drives a toothed drive roller 42. An endless belt 44 of fiber water-absorbing material is mounted on the drive roller 42 and is driven thereby. The belt 44 extends into a position between the precipitator 18 and the fan means 28 so that water filtered by the material of the belt 44 and the fan means 28 pulls moisture off the belt rather than forcing air through the belt. This enables the invention to humidify an area with water vapor free of almost all foreign matter regardless of the mineral content of the water used. The belt 44 is entrained about and drives a toothed driven roller 46. The rollers 42 and 46 are journalled in suitable vertically extending mounting brackets 48. The roller 46 is within a tank 50 mounted in the lower part of the housing 10 well below the normal path of air through the housing 10. The tank 50 serves as a reservoir and is adapted to be filed with Water 52.

A humidistat 54 is mounted in the housing 10 and there is mounted in the housing 10 a humidity selector in the form of a humidity selector switch of conventional construction mounted adjacent knob 58, 56 operated by knob 58 on the front of the housing 10. A toggle 60 is mounted on the housing 10' for operating a double pole three-position switch 62. Knobs 64 and 66 may be provided and mounted on the front of the housing for controlling speed of the belt motor 38 and fan motor 32 respectively through conventional rheostat type speed controllers.

In operation, the toggle 60 when flipped to its up position operatively connects the fan motor 32 and the electrostatic precipitator 18 to a source of electric power 68 through the fuse 70 for air filtering operation only.

The middle positions of the toggle 60 is an oil position for all components of the environmental control unit.

When the toggle 60 is flipped to a down position, the fan motor 32, the precipitator 18 and the humidistat 54 controlled by the selector 56 is operatively electrically connected to the source of electric power 68.

If the relative humidity in the area is two percent (2%) or more above the setting of the humidity selector knob 58, the humidistat automatically actuates a conventional relay switch 36 controlling the operation of the 3 compressor which turns on the compressor-condenser 34 for dehumidifying.

If the relative humidity is two percent (2%) or more below that indicated on the humidity selector knob 58,

the humidistat 54 automaticaly turns on the belt motor 38 for humidifying. Whether humidifying or dehumidifying, the fan 28 and the precipitator 18 are continually filtering the air.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the present invention will be employed Without a corresponding use of other features.

. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

We claim:

1. An environmental control unit comprising housing means having oppositely disposed an air inlet and a treated air outlet therein open to the atmosphere, screeningmeans extending across and entirely covering said inlet respectively for covering said inlet and outlet, electrostatic precipitator means disposed adjacent said inlet for removing dust from air and disposed so that all air entering the housing must pass through said electrostatic precipitator means, fan means disposed in said housing means for drawing air through said inlet and past said precipitator means and discharging treated air through said outlet, means supporting said fan means adjacent to and in alignment with said outlet, humidifying means in said housing means between said electrostatic precipitator means and said fan means for selectively delivering water vapor and .droplets between said inlet and said outlet, dehumidifying means in said housing means between said humidifying means and said fan means for selectively removing .water vapor from air passing through said humidifying means, relay means controlling operation of said humidifying means, switch means on said 7 housing for selectively operating said precipitator means independently of said humidifying means and said dehumidifying means and with a selected one of said humidifying means and said dehumidifying means, humidity selector means including a humidistat within said housing for selectvely automatically operating said humidifying means and said dehumidifying means, means for connecting said unit to a source of electrical power, said switch means including a three position switch having an off position wherein said unit is disconnected from the source vof power, a second position wherein said fan means and said precipitator means only are connected to the sourceof power, and a third position wherein said fan means and said precipitator are connected to the 7 source of power and selectively through said humidistat depending on the setting thereof either said relay means and said humidifying means are connected to the source of power, said relay means when connected tothe source or" power then connecting said dehumidifying means to the source of power, said humidifying means including water reservoir means in said housing, endless belt means within said housing and extending into said reservoir means and extending into a position between said precipitator means and said dehumidifying means so that said fan means will selectively draw air from said precipitatormeans through saidendless belt means, said,

endless belt means including an endless belt of;waterabsorbing fibrous material, drive means within said housing for said belt frictionally engaging andjdriving said; a

belt, said humidifying means further including a toothed roller having a plurality of radial teeth extending outwardly and along substantially the length of said toothed roller, said toothed roller being disposed in said reservoir. 0 means, said endless belt being entrained about said ervoir means, said fan means further drawing air through said endless belt and said dehumidifying means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,107,268 2/ 1938 Avery et a1. 2,146,071 2/ 1939 Horvath -222 2,158,543 5/1939 Jensen 26 1-80 X 2,262,542 11/1941 Bahnson 55-230 X r 2,295,233 9/1942 Mosher 261- X 2,421,557 6/1947 Haniquet 261-80 2,422,563 6/ 1947 Pegg 55-126 X 2,486,877 11/ 1949 Ransburg et al 55-149 X 2,703,228 3/ 1955 Fleisher 55-232 X 2,725,117 11/1955 Borgerd 55-268 X 2,873,908 2/ 1959 Powers 55-124 X 2,933,151 5/1960 Kurtz 55-124 X 2,997,130 8/ 1961 Nodolf i 55-124 3,064,409 11/ 1962 Schmitt 55-124 X 3,108,865 10/1963 Berly 55-138 X 3,172,747 3/1965 Nodolf 55-126 X 3,203,676 8/1965 Sprouse et a1. 55-232 X FOREIGN PATENTS 850,106 9/1939 France. 510,795 8/ 1939 Great Britain.

HARRY B. THORTON, Primary Examiner.

D. TALBERT, Assistant Examiner, 

